Happy Isles to Illilouette??? Has anyone done this segment....if so..

[schnikel]

My wife and I hiked the JMT this past year starting out from Illilouette, so we hiked down what you would hike up. That section of trail is well switchbacked and wouldn't be any harder than other climbs you will face later on the JMT, IMHO.

If you want to make sure you hike every step of the JMT you could hike the 3 miles from HI to where the Panorama Trail hooks up with the JMT the day before you start the hike, then start your permit from mono meadow, staying in illilouette basin the first night. Day 2 you would hike down from Illilouette past Glacier Point on the Panorama Trail to the JMT and head north from where you hiked up to before from the valley. You would make past Little Yos Valley easily that day and into open (legal) camping spots.

Hope this helps,
Schnikel

[nawlunz]

My wife and I hiked the JMT this past year starting out from Illilouette, so we hiked down what you would hike up. That section of trail is well switchbacked and wouldn't be any harder than other climbs you will face later on the JMT, IMHO.

If you want to make sure you hike every step of the JMT you could hike the 3 miles from HI to where the Panorama Trail hooks up with the JMT the day before you start the hike, then start your permit from mono meadow, staying in illilouette basin the first night. Day 2 you would hike down from Illilouette past Glacier Point on the Panorama Trail to the JMT and head north from where you hiked up to before from the valley. You would make past Little Yos Valley easily that day and into open (legal) camping spots.

Hope this helps,
Schnikel

So, my question...why is Mono Meadow to JMT easier to get that HI to Illiouette....My question is whether the hike up to the basin is a difficult piece that early for the JMT...later on, I know the climbs on the JMT...Just curious as to why more don't do HI to Illiouette if they can't get HI to LYV or to sunrise pass through.

[Sly]

So, my question...why is Mono Meadow to JMT easier to get that HI to Illiouette....My question is whether the hike up to the basin is a difficult piece that early for the JMT...later on, I know the climbs on the JMT...Just curious as to why more don't do HI to Illiouette if they can't get HI to LYV or to sunrise pass through.

I would think because each trail head has a quota and Happy Isle is the start of the trail. Have you tried HI to Little Yosemite? If you started early you could probably bag Half Dome. From there you should be able to get Sunrise or beyond.

In another thread you spoke of hiking 8 days to Whitney. Are you doing the entire trail now? If so and you're having permit problems, you could consider hiking from TM to HI, catch a shuttle back to TM and hiking south from there.

I don't know if you have it but I'll attach the PDF that's faxed to Yosemite and has up to three choices with a number of options in drop down menus.

[nawlunz]

I would think because each trail head has a quota and Happy Isle is the start of the trail. Have you tried HI to Little Yosemite? If you started early you could probably bag Half Dome. From there you should be able to get Sunrise or beyond.

In another thread you spoke of hiking 8 days to Whitney. Are you doing the entire trail now? If so and you're having permit problems, you could consider hiking from TM to HI, catch a shuttle back to TM and hiking south from there.



I don't know if you have it but I'll attach the PDF that's faxed to Yosemite and has up to three choices with a number of options in drop down menus.

Sky
Have done the drill with the permits...after many days, never got HI to LYM or pass through...I did get HI to Illilouette around the time I needed..so, my question was whether this was preferred over Mono Meadow trail head.

My question regarding 8 days to Whitney has to do with the fact that I have my schedule to Muir set...looking at options beyond Muir to Whitney as suggested stops in order to make it in 8-9 days. Again, I've gone from HI to Mather, and from Wallace Creek to the Portal. I am trying to get a suggested itinerary between Muir and Whitney.